Let me just say from the outset that there aren't words strong enough for me to express my absolute disappointment with the lack of progress in Burma. I reviewed testimony from 2012, in fact, the previous testimony of Inter Pares.
Thank you very much, Ms. Wolsak, for being here.
I have before me the executive summary of a 2011 report from Physicians for Human Rights in Burma. They made three strong findings: the army forced Kachin civilians to walk in front of tanks to set off land mines; it pillaged food and supplies from civilians; it fired indiscriminately on villages. Even though I see this and it's repulsive and repugnant and absolutely unacceptable, I don't see anywhere in here that in 2011 rape was being used as a weapon of warfare. Now, all of a sudden, instead of getting better, as it promised us, it has continued to allow the military to act even more maliciously, and now to start targeting and attacking women.
I wanted to make sure that I expressed my deep concerns about that, and I hope there will be a statement from this committee in that regard after so little progress has been made. In fact, there has been regression in the case of human rights and the rule of law in Burma.
I don't know where to start. Maybe I should just ask, is it still the case that 25 seats, which were a concern in the parliament of Burma, are set aside for the military, or has that situation been rectified in the government in Burma?